50 years ago: January 4, 1962 - George Locke, Lloyd Haworth and Jackson Parham were the top award winners at last night’s annual Manteca Lions Club Football Banquet. The dinner, easily the biggest prep football banquet in the area, was held at the MRPS Hall with one of the largest crowds in the history of the event attending the festivities. Locke was named the Buffaloes’ Outstanding Back of the Year. Locke, a first-stringer since his sophomore year, averaged 100 yards per game during the VOL season. Haworth won the Outstanding Lineman award for 1961. A rugged 200-pounder, Haworth was one of the top linemen in the VOL. He played almost every minute of every ball game for Coach Phil Harmon’s squad and was outstanding on both offense and defense. Parham walked off with two awards at last night’s banquet. Parham was named the winner of the coveted Cunningham Award and also won the new Scholastic Trophy. The Cunningham Award is presented on the basis of sportsmanship, scholastic ability and character. Art Hunter, former all-American from Notre Dame, was the featured speaker at the dinner. Hunter is now an offensive center with the Los Angeles Rams.



In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:

40 years ago: January 5, 1972 - Manteca go-kart racer Dave Knapp got the New Year off to a fine start over the weekend by winning the first kart race ever held at the Ontario Motor Speedway.

The East Union High Lancers lost their third league contest 60-39 to Atwater High in Atwater in Tuesday night action. The Lancers pulled within eight points in the third quarter but were unable to sustain their drive into the fourth period. The Lancers managed only one field goal in that fourth period and generally had a bad night under the buckets. The Lancers’ best point getter was Brad Stone who had 13 counters. Mike Crosby was the top rebounder for EU with 11. 



30 years ago: January 5, 1982 - Last night, Manteca High played like the Buffaloes of old in recording a surprisingly easy 72-58 win over Sonora High in the VOL opener for both schools. Reno Cook, as he has done for most of the season, led Manteca in scoring with 24 points. The talented forward also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. James Matas followed with 16 points. Casey Jay and Rick Uballe also hit double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The East Union High girls basketball team broke open a tight contest with a big second quarter and the Lady Lancers went on to defeat Central Catholic High 51-35 in a non-league contest Monday night in Modesto. Sophomore Melissa Paradzinski finished as high scorer for EU as she netted 16 points in the contest. Andrea Fierro followed with 13 more and Kay Hall hit double figures with 10.

East Union High’s boy cagers closed out the non-league portion of their schedule with a 54-49 win over host Escalon High as the Lancers improved their season record to an impressive 13-4, the best start in the school’s history. Senior center Larry Lee led EU in scoring with 27 points, his best outing of the season.

Edgard Caballero rifled home two goals as the upstart East Union High booters notched their second win of the season, a 2-0 shutout of Downey High Tuesday in Central California Conference soccer action.

In Turlock yesterday, Manteca High’s soccer team saw its record slip to 0-6 as Turlock High notched a 4-0 victory.

Linebacker Brian McCreath, who helped San Joaquin Delta College post its first winning football season in five years, will be plying his trade at Boise State University in Idaho this fall. The 6-2, 210-pound McCreath, a 1980 Manteca High graduate, was the Mustangs’ leading tackler in 1981 as Delta recorded a 5-4-1 mark, including an upset of highly-regarded Santa Rosa JC.

The Manteca High girls basketball team was about as cold as the weather Thursday night. As a result, they dropped a 36-30 non-league game to Trans-Valley League affiliate Hughson High. Tevani Scott, a junior, topped Manteca with 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Perennial powerhouse Oakdale High earned six pins and three forfeit victories en route to an easy 54-24 win over Manteca in the VOL wrestling opener for both schools Thursday night at Winter Gym. Buffaloes winning by pins were Billy Gulart (119) and heavyweight Fred Cantrell.



20 years ago: January 4, 1992 - While firemen were trying to put out an apartment fire several hundred feet outside the gymnasium, East Union High put on a pyrotechnic show of its own to burn the host Beyer High basketball team 59-50 last night in Modesto. The Lancers, who hadn’t played a game in about two weeks, outscored the Patriots 10-3 in the final four minutes of the game for their first win of 1992. EUHS’s balanced attack was paced by James McCain, who led all scorers with 16 points, while Greg Wallace and Adam McCurdy were close behind with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

For the second straight night, the Manteca High cagers turned in a solid effort but, unlike Thursday’s buzzer-beating heroics, the Buffaloes dropped a 71-65 overtime decision to host Lodi High in the Lodi Tournament final last night. Paul Gutierrez led MHS with 19 points, while Ricky Gleason’s standout floor game included 15 points, six assists and two steals.

The East Union High girls basketball team rallied from a first-quarter deficit to take a convincing 56-42 win over Cordova High Tuesday night in Rancho Cordova. Nicole Carter led EU, now 12-4, with 16 points. Heather Landeros and Danelle Liles were close behind, adding 15 and 13 points to the winning total.

Able to convert on only 25 percent of its field goals, the Manteca High girls basketball team dropped a 57-50 contest to Tokay High in Lodi Tuesday night. Lady Buff Coach Martha Dias credited guard Monica Haena with a fine effort. The senior totaled 13 points, seven steals and three assists.

The East Union High soccer team scored a pair of goals in each half while holding visiting Sonora High to just four shots on goal in a 4-0 win Thursday. Lancer junior Jason Matsuda  scored two goals in the win. Teammates Joe Escobar and Randy Steele added another score each.

The Manteca High soccer team, trailing at the half, cranked up the intensity in the second half to claim 5-3 non-league win over Ceres High at Guss Schmiedt Field Thursday. Foreign exchange student Yoshi Kaga scored twice for the Buffaloes and other goals were added by Armando Barron, Richard McNabb and Rob Wallace.

Early on, it looked as if the East Union High wrestling team would give the powerful Manteca High grapplers a battle in Wednesday night’s inner-city encounter. But reality and the second match intervened as the Buffaloes (4-0) routed the Lancers 59-6 at Dalben Center. The Lancers got off to a fine start as Scott Pacheco (103) pinned MHS’ Justin Fatzer just 27 seconds into their match. That would be all the scoring for EU. Buff pins came from Ryan Elliott (125), Vince Elliott (130), Caleb Shen (135), Eric Rowe (140), Matt Madden (145), Greg Espinosa (152), Marcell Cephus (171) and heavyweight Jason Murillo.

Despite playing one of its best games of the season, the Manteca High girls soccer team couldn’t overcome a tough Turlock High squad as the Lady Buffs fell 3-2 Wednesday afternoon at Turlock. Amy Burks and Gina Ramsey scored the goals for  MHS (2-9).



10 years ago: January 10, 2002 - With one of the best forwards in the VOL leading the way, Sierra High edged Tracy High 59-57 in basketball action Wednesday night. Derrick Shaw poured in 22 points in the second half on his way to a 28-point total in the game to lift the Timberwolves to the win. In addition to Shaw’s scoring, he also pulled down 11 huge rebounds. Daniel Pastran and Mike Williams added 11 points each to the winning total.

West High beat Manteca High 59-46 in basketball action Wednesday night in Tracy. Dewan Brown led the scoring for the Buffaloes with 13 points.

Against the top-ranked West HIgh wrestling team, the Manteca High grapplers dropped a 39-24 decision on Wednesday at Winter Gym. Benny Garcia (112) recorded a first-round pin for Coach Pat King’s Buffaloes.

Sierra High’s wrestling team was downed by an experienced Tracy High squad 42-26 on Wednesday in Tracy. Zack Jenkins (171) and James Garcia (112) had pins for the T’wolves. Coach Frank Sabala’s boys are now 0-4 in league.

East Union High’s basketball team narrowly lost to visiting Sonora High 53-48 on Wednesday night at Dalben Center. Leading the scoring for the Lancers were Mike Nunnally and Jon Prado, each with 10 points. Coach Eric Simoni’s boys are now 11-7 overall.

The Sierra High girls basketball team lost a 58-54 overtime decision to host Tracy High on Tuesday. “We played well enough to win,” said coach Dan Cunial. “Early on we played well, but we gave them too many turnovers.” Martha Spivey had an amazing 28 points in a losing cause.

It will take a sustained four quarters of basketball for any team in the VOL to beat West High’s girls. Manteca High now knows that as they dropped a 52-21 decision to the visiting Wolf Pack on Tuesday. Sara Cross led the Lady Buff scoring with five points on the night.

East Union High’s girl cagers fell short at the free throw line and in the game 48-41 against host Sonora High on Tuesday. A seven-for-18 night from the line wasn’t enough for Coach Rick Inderbitzen’s Lady Lancers. Amy Haapanen led EU with 22 points and 10 rebounds, all while suffering from bronchitis. Priscilla Munoz put up 10 points in a losing performance.